LONDON (NewsNation Now) — Scottish movie legend Sean Connery, who shot to international stardom as the British agent James Bond and went on to dominate the silver screen for four decades, has died at age 90, the BBC reported Saturday.
Connnery shot to fame as British agent 007, the character created by novelist Ian Fleming and immortalized by Connery in films starting with "“Dr. No" in 1962.
Connery played a series of noteworthy roles besides Bond and won an Academy Award for his portrayal of a tough Chicago cop in “"The Untouchables" (1987).
Some noteworthy non-Bond films included director Alfred Hitchcock's "Marnie" (1964), "The Wind and the Lion" (1975) with Candice Bergen, director John Huston's "The Man Who Would be King" (1975) with Michael Caine, director Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" (1989) and the Cold War tale "The Hunt for Red October" (1990).
Connery was knighted by the Queen in 2000.
Born Thomas Connery on Aug. 25, 1930, he was the eldest of two sons of a long-distance truck driver and a mother who worked as a cleaner in Scottland. He dropped out of school at age 13 and worked in a variety of menial jobs. At 16, two years after World War Two ended, Connery was drafted into the Royal Navy, and served three years.
Connery played small parts with theatre repertory companies before graduating to films and television.
It was his part in a 1959 Disney leprechaun movie, "Darby O'Gill and the Little People," that helped land the role of Bond. Broccoli, a producer of the Bond films, asked his wife to watch Connery in the Disney movie while he was searching for the right leading actor.
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31st August 1962: Scottish actor Sean Connery, the new face of superspy James Bond, relaxes in his basement flat in London's NW8. (Photo by Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Getty Images) -
Portrait of James Bond actors Sean Connery and Honor Blackman, to promote the film 'Goldfinger', 1964. (Photo by Express/Getty Images) -
Scottish film actor Sean Connery in his most famous role as '007', James Bond. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
29th August 1962: Scottish actor Sean Connery, best known as Secret Agent 007 in the James Bond films, sets off for a game of golf. (Photo by Chris Ware/Keystone/Getty Images) -
NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Sir Sean Connery and Micheline Connery attend the 8th annual "Dressed To Kilt" Charity Fashion Show presented by Glenfiddich at M2 Ultra Lounge on April 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images) -
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 11: Actor Sean Connery attend the Men's Singles Semifinals match between Novak Djokovic of Serbia and Marin Cilic of Croatia on Day Twelve of the 2015 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 11, 2015 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) -
EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM - AUGUST 25: Sir Sean Connery unveils his new book entitled 'Being A Scot' at the Edinburgh book festival August 25, 2008 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The launch of the actors memoirs book coincides with his 78th birthday. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images) -
NEW YORK - APRIL 05: Sir Sean Connery attends the 8th annual "Dressed To Kilt" Charity Fashion Show presented by Glenfiddich at M2 Ultra Lounge on April 5, 2010 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images) -
Scottish actor Sean Connery at the Savoy Hotel in London, UK, 11th April 1971. (Photo by Terry Disney/Express/Getty Images) -
Scottish actor Sean Connery in Amsterdam on a location shoot for the latest James Bond film, 'Diamonds are Forever', 4th July 1971. (Photo by Jack Kay/Daily Express/Getty Images) -
A scene from the James Bond film 'Thunderball' with Sean Connery, Claudine Auger and Adolfo Celi. (Photo by MacGregor/Getty Images) -
British actor Sean Connery on the set of western film 'Shalako', Almeria, Spain, 12th January 1968. (Photo by Larry Ellis/Daily Express/Getty Images) -
1983: From left to right, Pamela Salem who appears as Miss Moneypenny in 'Never Say Never Again', Sean Connery who plays James Bond and Barbara Carrera who plays Fatima Blush. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images) -
EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM - JUNE 16: Sir Sean Connery attends the opening film of The Edinburgh Film Festival: The Illusionist on June 16, 2010 in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Photo by Ian Jacobs/Getty Images) -
HOLLYWOOD - OCTOBER 01: Actor Sean Connery speaks during AFI's Night At The Movies presented by Target held at ArcLight Cinemas on October 1, 2008 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for AFI)
After the smashing success of "Dr. No," more Bond movies followed for Connery in quick succession: "From Russia with Love" (1963), “"Goldfinger" (1964), “"Thunderball" (1965) and "“You Only Live Twice" (1967).
Connery grew concerned about being typecast and decided to break away. Australian actor George Lazenby succeeded him as Bond in “"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in 1969.
But without Connery it lacked what the public wanted and he was lured back in 1971 for "“Diamonds Are Forever" with temptations that included a slice of the profits, which he said would go to a Scottish educational trust. He insisted it would be his last time as Bond.
Twelve years later, at age 53, Connery was back as 007 in "“Never Say Never Again" (1983), an independent production that enraged his old mentor, producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli.
The Bond franchise was still going strong more than five decades after Connery started it. The lavishly produced movies, packed with high-tech gadgetry and spectacular effects, broke box office records and grossed hundreds of millions of dollars.
Connery retired from movies after disputes with the director of his final outing, the forgettable "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" in 2003.
Connery married actress Diane Cilento in 1962. Before divorcing 11 years later, they had a son, Jason, who became an actor. He married French artist Micheline Roquebrune, whom he met playing golf, in 1975.
This story is developing. Refresh for updates.
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